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Oldcastle, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Oldcastle, Sir John, 1378?–1417, English leader of Lollardry. He married the heiress of Lord Cobham in 1408 and was known as “the good Lord Cobham.” Under the rule of Henry IV he performed valua...

Otto I, king of Greece

(Encyclopedia)Otto I, 1815–67, first king of the Hellenes (1833–62). The second son of King Louis I of Bavaria, he was chosen (1832) by a conference of European powers at London to rule newly independent Greece...

Hesselius, Gustavus

(Encyclopedia)Hesselius, Gustavus hĕsēˈlēəs [key], 1682–1755, American portrait painter, b. Sweden, settled c.1712 in Philadelphia. He was the earliest portrait painter and organ builder in the United States...

Basile, Giovanni Battista

(Encyclopedia)Basile, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä bäsēˈlā [key], 1575–1632, Italian writer. Basile held several important official positions, devoting his spare time to the study of folklore...

Bressanone

(Encyclopedia)Bressanone brās-sänôˈnā [key], Ger. Brixen, town, Trentino–Alto Adige, N Italy, on the...

Peter II, king of Portugal

(Encyclopedia)Peter II, 1648–1706, king of Portugal (1683–1706), younger son of John IV; brother and successor of Alfonso VI. In 1667, he seized power from his incompetent brother and ruled the country as princ...

Berthier, Louis Alexandre

(Encyclopedia)Berthier, Louis Alexandre lwē älĕksäNˈdrə bĕrtyāˈ [key], 1753–1815, marshal of France. He served in the American Revolution and in the French Revolutionary Wars, distinguishing himself unde...

Bladensburg

(Encyclopedia)Bladensburg blāˈdənzbûrg [key], town (2020 pop. 9,657), Prince Georges co., S central Md., a ...

Lynch, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Lynch, Thomas, 1749–79, political figure in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, known as Thomas Lynch, Jr., b. Prince George Parish, S.C., studied Cambridge and law a...

Rupert's Land

(Encyclopedia)Rupert's Land, Canadian territory held (1670–1869) by the Hudson's Bay Company, named for Prince Rupert, first governor of the company. Under the charter granted (1670) to the company by Charles II,...

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